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If there's one thing I hated back when I was a little girl, it's going to school sleepy, tired, and disinterested with school. And I'm sure there are plenty of kids who felt the same way.

It's a known fact that one of the reasons why most kids don't enjoy going to school is because their bodies don't have the energy to concentrate and function. This is due to a lack of proper nutrition and a good night's rest — a common issue in today's society. In my case, being the chocoholic and junk-food lover that I was, I only ate what I wanted to eat and didn't even consider what my body truly needed. I guess that explains everything.

My Daughter's First Ever Visit to the Dentist

We thought we had everything ready for the new school year but some things just happen unexpectedly. It was the second day of school and my almost-seven-year-old daughter Nini had to skip attendance because she was complaining of a terrible toothache. So my husband and I took her to a small clinic at the Fairview Center Mall after office hours for her first ever dental checkup.

College Kid and the Empty Nest Syndrome

I feel stirrings of the empty nest syndrome. I can’t even do the things that are normally advised to ease the mild depression and loneliness that comes with an empty nest: like get a new job, start a hobby, go out with friends, or go on a trip with your spouse. I still have two kiddos in the house that need caring after.

This is the start of his sophomore year. My “semi-syndrome” is kicking in a year late...

A Review of ProActive Parenting's Gentle No's for Toddlers

Being a first-time mom with no background experience in child discipline, I’m the perfect example of what you shouldn’t be doing to your kid. Whenever Holly shows signs of bad behavior in the house (spanking or biting), I’d scold her, call out her name, and look at her in the eye. I’d try to talk to her like how a mom would talk to a 7-year old, but if she didn’t stop her bad behavior, I’d punish her by slapping her hand and raising my voice.

What frustrates me is that this method of discipline wasn’t working at all. I couldn’t get her to stop slapping her nanny on the face, biting her aunt’s shoulder, or pulling my hair. She is a feisty 1-year old who didn’t seem to want to listen to anyone.

What Do You Love Most About Being a Mom?

I used to feel sorry for classmates who, when it's time to share about your parents' occupations, say that their mom is "just a plain housewife." It surely doesn't sound as pompous as when you say "My mom is a lawyer" ...or a doctor ...or a businesswoman. I usually imagine a frazzled woman wearing that floral daster doing nothing but cook and clean the house all day. What a boring place to be in, I used to think. Now that I'm a mother myself however, I realize how wrong I had been to judge housewives like that!

Interesting Facts About Mother’s Day

My own mother will be in Guam to attend the wedding of a niece on the second Sunday of May this year. I myself am not too keen on celebrating the day, except maybe for daydreams of sleeping in and having Rodic’s tapsilog served to me in bed (a logistic impossibility).

However, the concept of officially celebrating motherhood with a special day is an interesting one.  The facts behind the celebration make it even more interesting.

• The founder of Mother’s Day in the United States, Anna Jarvis, never became a mother

• She died in poverty after spending her life fighting against the commercialization of Mother’s Day

5 Simple Budget-Friendly Ways to Celebrate Mother's Day

I'm sure you're excited for Mother's day. It's that one special day where mothers are remembered, loved a hundred times over, and of course pampered twice as usual (think a day at David's Salon).

We especially love this day because it's an opportunity to make our own moms feel special. We want to let them know just how loving, selfless, and beautiful they are, so we do our best to make them twice as happy on Mother's Day.

But wait, do you have the budget for your planned surprise? Are you quite tight on cash right now that you can't celebrate Mother's day the way you wanted to?

Got My Rustan's Fresh Card!

Okay, I just gotta share this: I finally managed to claim my very own Rustan's Fresh Card after collecting PHP 5000 worth of grocery receipts at Rustan's (Fairview Center Mall). It's funny but it felt such an accomplishment for me haha! (I even felt giddy when they asked for my birthday in the application form.) If you are a frequent shopper at Rustan's, you can also get a Fresh Card from any outlet for only PHP 200. Since we are loyal patrons of Rustan's, I chose the option to get a free card (by collecting the mentioned amount of receipts over a three-month period) and today, I succeeded. Yay!

Healthy Recipe: Pinakbet

For moms and dads who are looking for healthy food for their family meals, here is a popular Filipino dish from the north to add to your dinner recipe collection.

7 Tips When Traveling with Your Baby

The idea of traveling sounds like a dream, doesn't it? You get to visit beautiful places, meet interesting people, experience the beauty of the local culture, and (of course) take home some rare souvenirs. Well, at least that's what the ads always portray.
Now let's put a baby in this picture. Aside from tending to all of your traveling needs, you have to consider the baby's needs as well. Birth certificate, travel documents, his own suitcase filled with clothes and diapers, his baby bottles, his large can of milk (if he's bottle fed), toys, etc.

Stressful, isn't it? Well, traveling with a baby isn't a joke even if you're only taking flights within the country. You have to consider the best times to travel, the things you need to bring, the health of your baby, and who you're flying with. I've had to fly to and fro several times back when my daughter was only a couple of months old, and the stress and work that came with the task was fun yet demanding.

10 Practical and Affordable Things To Do This Summer

Ever the Azkals fan, Naomi wrote about soccer camp or football for kids this summer. Her blogpost inspired me to make my own version of things for the kids to do during this 2 month long vacation. Here are a few more suggestions for fun and educational activities that you could do with your kids.

Coming from a practical and thrifty stay-at-home hands-on parent, it kind of requires more time & planning than usual. But then again you won’t be spending a fortune on fees and lessons.

Mom Notes Partners with MomCenter

Dear Moms,
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We encourage you to sign up at MomCenter.com.ph, where you could interact with thousands of other Filipina moms (and dads maybe?) in this extensive online parenting community.